What if I told you the new gateway to addiction is something that cannot be smoked, swallowed, snorted, or injected; and your child may have been exposed to it and not even know it. The cartels cannot make it and dealers cannot sell it, but it is still prevalent in society. You as a parent...
I carry it because my friend was not a junkie. I carry it because the doctor said it was safe. I carry it because others do not. I carry it for your child. I carry it for over 70 Arizona youth that died last year and wished someone carried it. Plain and simple, I carry...
The WOW Coalition and Youth4Youth are working with 8th graders at multiple local schools helping youth develop social-emotional life skills. The program called THRIVE, is a resiliency program designed to empower teens with knowledge and tools to divert high-risk behavior and thrive in today’s culture. Today’s lesson was “Identifying Emotions,” teaching youth how to name what...
What was your world like when you were ten or fifteen years old? How did you spend time with friends? What was neighborhood safety like? Did you have a cell phone? Did you have a smartphone? Was there even anything such as internet safety? Was there an app for that? As parents, we must make...
Last September, we helped parents understand the importance of having “The Talk” with their children. Today, we want to expand on bullet point #5 — Build your child’s strategies and skills to avoid alcohol and drug use and talk about The Exit Plan. You and your family need to develop some strategies and skills to help...
We made it through 2020, and I think we can all say 2020 was not without its fair share of hardships. Life can be hard all on its own, but then you mix in a global pandemic and all the aftermath that comes with it, things can feel very overwhelming. Some ask, where does it...
Through the years, I have learned a very productive habit when helping people solve problems on their own. The habit is – Ask a great question and then shut up! People are more likely to do something when it is their idea. Asking a great question, followed by silence, allows the receiver time to think...
One mantra I have used to get through this time of uncertainty is “success is your duty, obligation, and responsibility.” Lately, I’ve been thinking about that from a parenting aspect. The success of our children is our duty, obligation, and responsibility. As 2020 comes to an end and the holidays approach, one thing has remained...
It is not always easy to start conversations with your children about certain topics. They can become awkward and uncomfortable fast. But those are the types of conversations that are the most important for your family’s future. You know the talk, right? The talk you have with your child about your expectations on alcohol and...
Last January, I published an article written shortly after getting off the phone with a mother whose twenty-five-year-old son had tested “hot” for opioids. This mom was beginning to lose hope because he had been admitted into drug treatment centers multiple times. She was now wondering if she would become part of an exclusive club...